The present invention relates to an exercise bench which may be easily arranged in each of an inclined bench, a flat bench, and a slant board configuration to permit an exerciser to perform a variety of exercises thereon in each of the different configurations.
Benches of various sizes and configurations are used by exercisers to assist in the performance of a variety of exercises. Different bench configurations permit an exerciser to perform different exercises thereon to exercise and isolate different sets of muscles.
For example, an inclined bench includes a seat and a backrest extending up from the seat inclined with respect to the floor so that the upper portion of the backrest is above the lower portion of the backrest. An exerciser may sit on the seat and recline in an at least partially upright position against the inclined backrest and can perform a variety of upper body exercises on the bench with weight or resistance training devices, such as dumbbells. The exercises which can be performed include chest press, lateral butterfly, and arm curl, each of which isolates and exercises a particular set of upper body muscles.
A flat bench provides a generally horizontal backrest upon which an exerciser may lie in a supine position. Again, the exerciser can perform chest presses and lateral butterflies, isolating a different set of upper body muscles then when the same exercises are performed on an incline bench. In addition, the exerciser can sit upright on the flat bench and perform a shoulder press exercise.
A slant board presents a declined backrest, i.e., a head portion of the backrest is disposed below a seat portion of the backrest. A slant board typically also includes foot holding structures. An exerciser can lie upon the slant board with his upper body disposed below his lower body and can perform chest presses, lateral butterflies, and a variety of abdominal exercises such as sit-ups and crunches. The exerciser can hold his feet stationary by engaging his feet with the foot holding structures. The user can also reverse positions on the slant board, so that the upper body is above the lower body, and perform inclined leg lift abdominal exercises.
To take advantage of the variety of exercises which may be performed on the various bench configurations described above, one would conventionally need multiple benches of different configurations. The need for multiple benches can present space problems, especially for the home user, and also leads to the added expense of purchasing multiple different benches.